Arrests at Universities Pile Up as Pro-Palestinian Protests Spread

Hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters have been arrested at several universities, as demonstrations over the Middle East conflict have intensified and students’ rights to gather and protest have been challenged across U.S. campuses. 

The protests that began at Columbia University in New York last week have spread to other states from Massachusetts to Texas to California, where students have set up encampments at central spots on campuses, disrupted learning and halted daily campus life. Students have been protesting the Israel-Hamas war and have lodged various demands, including that their schools divest from companies doing business with Israel.